Music Theory
This book discusses tonal music theory, specifically of the common practice period onwards, including jazz, blues, rock, and other modern styles. It focuses mostly on Western (i.e., Western European, Euro-American, and Afro-American) styles, however, all styles of music are discussed.
Basics
- Introduction
- How to read Music
- Music Notation Systems
- Rhythm
- Scales and Intervals
- Modes
- Chords
- Chord Structures
- Consonance and Dissonance
Common Practice Styles
Harmony
- Triads
- Seventh chords
- Functions
- Cadences and Progressions
- Secondary dominant
- Dominant substitute
- Reharmonization
- Voicing
Modal Harmony
Tones, overtones, and harmonics
Beyond the Basics
- The Physics of Music
- Finding the Key and Mode of a Piece
- Playing by Ear
- Complete List of Chord Patterns
- Modulation
- Chromaticism
- Syncopation
Modern Styles
- Barbershop
- Blues
- Country
- Dance
- Folk, Old Time, Bluegrass, etc.
- Funk
- Hip Hop, Rap, etc.
- Hymn
- Jazz, incl. Swing
- Metal
- New Age
- Pop, Pop/Rock, etc.
- Punk Rock, Hardcore, Pop-Punk, etc.
- Reggae
- Rock, Hard Rock, etc.
- Samba
- Ska
- Miscellaneous Styles
- R&B
- Reggae
Styles in the Western Classical Tradition
- Plainsong
- Early Western European
- Renaissance
- Baroque
- Classical
- Romantic
- Atonal
- Serialism
- Spectralism